Biennial or perennial herbaceous plant Onion (Allium) is a member of the Allium subfamily of the Amaryllidaceae family. This genus includes approximately 400 species. In nature, such a plant is found in the Northern Hemisphere, where it prefers to grow in forests, steppes and meadows. Already 4 thousand years ago in China, Iran and the Mediterranean they knew about the existence of onions. This plant came to Russian territory only at the beginning of the 12th century from the banks of the Danube. “All” is translated from Celtic as “burning”; it is believed that it was because of this that Carl Linnaeus called such a plant the onion “allium”. There is also an opinion that the Latin name comes from the word “halare”, which translates as “to smell”. Cultivated different kinds of this plant. The most popular type among gardeners is the onion (Allium cepa), as well as many of its varieties. And also quite often they grow onions, leeks, shallots, onions, etc. Onions are also grown and how ornamental plant, to decorate flower beds, landscape designers use the following types: inclined, Aflatunsky, Dutch, gigantic, Karatavsky, round-headed, Schubert, Christoph, etc.

All representatives of the onion genus have a large spherical flattened bulb, which is covered with white, purple or pale red shells. The basal arched leaf plates have a linear or belt-like shape. The height of the thick swollen stems reaches 100 cm. Umbrellas consist of small, inconspicuous flowers with long pedicels. U individual species the inflorescences reach 0.4 m in diameter; they are covered in a sheath that is preserved until the flowers begin to open. The ovary can be three-locular or single-locular. The shape of the seeds is angular or round. Fruiting occurs in August or September. The most popular among gardeners is onion.

What time to plant

Onions are planted in spring, in the first ten days of May, and the soil should be very well warmed up. If it is planted in soil whose temperature is less than 12 degrees, the plants will bolt. Should know main principle cultivation of this crop: in the first year in the spring, seeds are sown, and by the beginning autumn period small bulbs called sets should grow from them, planting them on next year in the spring, and in the fall, full-fledged bulbs are harvested. However, it is very difficult to preserve the seedlings until the onset of spring, since for this it should be provided with special temperature regime, and optimal humidity air. In this regard, some gardeners sow seedlings in the soil before winter in the year of ripening.

Onions are light-loving plants. Dry, open and well-lit areas are suitable for planting. The soil should be saturated with organic matter, and its pH should be 6.4-7.9. If the soil is acidic, this can be corrected by liming.

The area for planting must be prepared in advance. In the autumn, it is necessary to dig it up to a depth of 15 to 20 centimeters, and peat manure compost or rotted manure must be added to the soil. Fresh manure cannot be added to the soil, as it causes greenery to actively grow, which negatively affects the ripening of the bulbs. To correct acidic soil, you need to add wood ash, limestone, dolomite flour or ground chalk. In the spring, before you start sowing, you need to add 10 grams of urea, 60 grams of superphosphate and 20 grams of potassium chloride to the soil per 1 square meter plot. Fertilizers are incorporated into the ground using a rake. Then you can start planting this crop.

Onions will grow best in areas where cabbage, peas, tomatoes, potatoes, beans or green manure were previously grown. And in the area where carrots, garlic, onions or cucumbers previously grew, this crop can be sown only after 3-5 years.

There are 3 methods of growing onions:

  1. Grows as a biennial plant. With this method, you should first grow the seeds.
  2. Grow as an annual from seeds.
  3. Grow as an annual from seeds, but through seedlings.

These methods will be described in detail below. In 1 year, this crop can be grown from seeds only in regions with a long summer period, and only semi-sweet and sweet varieties are grown using this method. The seed needs to be prepared before sowing; for this it needs to be stratified or placed in moistened gauze to swell for 24 hours. After this, the seeds are sown in the prepared soil, which must first be shed with a solution copper sulfate(1 tablespoon of substance for 1 bucket of water). The seeds need to be buried 15 mm into the ground, and they are sown according to a 13x1.5 centimeter pattern. The bed must be watered very well, using a divider, and then covered with film on top. The shelter must be removed after the first seedlings appear. The seedlings need thinning, and a distance of 20–30 mm should be maintained between the plants, then the surface of the bed is covered with a layer of mulch (humus). The crops will need to be thinned out again after 20 days, and the distance between the plants should be increased to 60–80 mm.

Sweet and semi-sharp varieties of onions are grown through seedlings. After the seed material has been subjected to pre-sowing preparation, it should be sown in boxes, and this is done 50–60 days before transplanting the plants into open soil. The seeds are sown densely, they are buried 10 mm into the ground, and the row spacing should be 40–50 mm. Such seedlings are unpretentious, however, before planting the plants in open soil, experts advise shortening their roots and leaf blades by 1/3.

If the summer period in your region is not very warm and short, then you most likely will not be able to get full-fledged bulbs from seeds in 1 year. In this case, you will have to grow onions as a biennial plant. To do this, during the first year it will be necessary to grow sets from seeds, and in the second year they will already grow from them onion. This method is excellent for growing spicy varieties. Seeds should be sown in open soil in the same way as when growing onions from seeds in 1 season (see above). With the onset of the next spring, in the first days of May, the seedlings are planted, deepening them into the ground by 40–50 mm, while a distance of 80 to 100 mm should be left between the bulbs, and the row spacing should be about 30 centimeters. Don't forget to prepare the area before planting (see above). Before you start planting the seedlings, you need to sort them out and calibrate them. Then it is placed in the sun for 7 days so that it can warm up thoroughly, otherwise the onion will shoot. Just before planting, the seedlings are placed in a solution of copper sulfate (1 teaspoon of substance per 1 bucket of water), where it should remain for 10 minutes. If, during the growth of onions, you intend to pull out young plants for cooking, then when planting, the distance between the onions should be reduced to 50–70 mm, and then it is gradually increased to 80–100 mm.

Wild oatmeal (small sets) is excellent for sowing before winter, as it is highly resistant to bolting. So that in spring you can cut fresh green onions very early, for this purpose it is necessary to plant not a large number of large set. Advantages of planting onions before winter:

  • no need to store planting material until spring, which is good because if the seedlings are stored incorrectly, they will dry out very quickly;
  • in the spring, an onion fly may appear, but the winter onion has already become so strong that it cannot harm it;
  • in July it will be possible to start harvesting;
  • in the bed where the onions grew, it will still be possible to plant something in the same season.

For winter sowing As a rule, frost-resistant varieties are used, for example: Arzamassky, Danilovsky, Strigunovsky, Stuttgarten. The site for sowing must be chosen in the same way as for sowing onions in the spring. However, there are some differences; you should choose an area where the snow cover disappears very early in the spring, and melt water should not stagnate on it. The seedlings are planted in the autumn, October 5–20, just before the frosts, but you should not delay it, since the soil should not have time to cool. Before planting the seed, it must be sorted, calibrated and warmed in the sun. It is planted in furrows, the depth of which should be about 50 mm, while a distance of 60–70 mm should be maintained between the bulbs, and the row spacing should be about 15 centimeters. When the first frosts arrive, the top of the bed will need to be covered with straw or spruce branches; the cover is removed in the spring, as soon as the snow cover begins to melt. Do not cover the area with onions too early in the fall, as this may cause the onions to dry out.

Growing in open ground Onions must be watered in a timely manner. When the bed is watered, its surface must be loosened, and all weeds that can choke young plants should be removed. Also, this crop must be fed on time, and, if necessary, treated against harmful insects or diseases, using insecticidal or fungicidal preparations.

Ideally, onions should be watered once every 7 days, with 5–10 liters of water taken per 1 square meter of land. However, it is best to rely on the weather, which is very changeable. So, if there is a drought, then the onions need to be watered much more often (almost every day), and if it rains, then watering should be delayed, otherwise the onions may rot due to stagnation of water in the soil. It should be remembered that if the onion needs urgent watering, then its feathers acquire a white-gray tint, and when there is stagnation of water in the soil, the green part of the bushes becomes faded. It is necessary to begin to gradually reduce watering in July, since at this time the ripening of the bulbs begins. However, if there is a severe drought, the plants are watered in the same regime as before.

It has already been discussed in detail above that in the fall, when digging a site, organic matter should be added to the soil, while in the spring, before planting, a complex of mineral fertilizers. In addition, if foliage growth is relatively slow, the plants should be fed with a solution organic fertilizer(for 1 bucket of water, take 1 tbsp. urea, bird droppings or mullein), for 1 square meter of bed use 3 liters of nutrient mixture. After half a month, if necessary, re-feed with the same mixture. And after the size of the onions is similar to that of a walnut, the onions will need to be fed again with the same fertilizer.

Treatment

Often gardeners do not know how and with what to carry out preventive treatment of onions against diseases. After the height of its feathers is 15 centimeters, the plant is sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate (1 teaspoon of product per 1 bucket of water), this will protect the crop from fungal diseases. If desired, add 1 tbsp to the solution. l. grated laundry soap, in this case it will be fixed to the foliage.

Diseases and pests of onions with photos

Onion diseases

Before you start growing onions, you need to find out what diseases they can suffer from and which pests pose the greatest danger to them. This crop can be affected by diseases such as: cervical, gray and white rot, jaundice, fusarium, false powdery mildew(downy mildew), smut, rust, mosaic and tracheomycosis.

White rot - its development is observed when grown in acidic soil. Therefore, if the soil on the site is acidic, it must be limed. It also often affects those plants that grow in soil with high content nitrogen. Diseased plants need to be dug up and destroyed, and for preventive purposes Before planting the crop, it is necessary to dust the bulbs with chalk.

Gray mold is a fungal disease; its active spread and development is observed in damp and rainy weather. Diseased plants must be removed from the ground and burned. For preventive purposes, it is recommended to adhere to the rules of agricultural technology for this crop, and in the spring the plants are treated with a solution of copper sulfate.

Onion jaundice is viral disease. The affected plant has deformed flowers, and chlorotic spots appear on its foliage. This disease is incurable, therefore the affected bushes must be dug up and burned, while all weeds must be promptly removed from the rows and beds immediately after they appear. You also need to adhere to the rules of crop rotation.

Peronosporosis (downy mildew) - in an infected plant, elongated light-colored spots form on the stems and foliage, with a gray coating present on their surface. Over time, the spots turn black. Infected bulbs stored for storage germinate very early, and the bushes that grow from them do not develop seeds. After the harvest is harvested, to destroy the causative agent of the disease, before storing the onions, the bulbs are heated for 10 hours at a temperature of about 40 degrees. Also, for preventive purposes, do not allow plantings to thicken.

Fusarium - in diseased plants, the tips of the feathers become yellow, since the bulbs in the bottom area exhibit rotting and tissue death. This disease is most active when standing for a long time. hot weather. This disease can also develop due to the onion fly settling on the plants. For preventive purposes, before planting, the seed must be warmed up.

Smut - an infected plant develops translucent convex stripes of a dark gray color; as the disease progresses, they crack, and fungal spores come out. Also, the tips of the leaf blades of plants dry out. For preventative purposes, before storing the crop, it should be heated for 18 hours at a temperature of about 45 degrees. It is also necessary to clear the area from time to time. weed and do not plant different varieties of onions in the same bed.

Rust - red-brown swellings appear on the foliage of the affected onion, containing fungal spores. For preventive purposes, put it away for storage first. harvested it is heated for 10 hours at a temperature of about 40 degrees. Also, the planting should not be allowed to thicken, and it is also necessary to dig up and destroy the affected specimens in a timely manner.

Tracheomycosis

Tracheomycosis - this disease is a consequence of fusarium. First it rots Bottom part bulbs, and then rot gradually covers it completely, as a result of which the roots of the plant die off and the foliage turns yellow. All diseased plants must be dug up and destroyed. For prevention purposes, adhere to the rules of crop rotation and agricultural technology.

Neck rot - in affected plants, a dense coating of gray mold appears on the outer scales; as the disease progresses, they become black spots. The first symptoms of the disease appear after harvesting, and after about 8 weeks other signs appear. The lowest resistance to neck rot is in late varieties Luke. As a rule, plants become infected when they are cultivated in unfavorable conditions. Therefore, for the purpose of prevention, it is necessary to adhere to the rules of agricultural technology of the crop, and it is also necessary to warm up the sets before planting, and also the onions before storing them, and the temperature should be about 45 degrees.

Mosaic - in diseased bushes, the foliage becomes similar to corrugated and flat flaps, on the surface of which there are stripes of yellow color; smaller inflorescences and a decrease in the number of seeds are also observed, as well as stunted growth of onions. This viral disease is incurable, so all necessary measures should be taken. preventive measures so that the plant does not become infected.

All fungal diseases are easily treated with fungicidal drugs. However, it should be taken into account that both beneficial substances and poisons from chemicals can accumulate in the bulbs.

The greatest danger to onions comes from onion insects, moths and flies. sprout fly, mole cricket, cabbage, garden and winter cutworms and tobacco thrips.

To destroy caterpillars, onions should be sprayed with a solution of Gomelin (0.5%) or Bitoxibacillin (1%). To exterminate tobacco thrips, spray with a solution of Actellik or Karbofos (0.15%). You can get rid of the secretive proboscis using systemic insecticides. To destroy onion fly larvae in the fall, you should deep dig the area. It is known that the onion fly cannot tolerate the aroma of carrots; therefore, when planting, it is recommended to alternate rows of onions with rows of carrots. To get rid of onion moths, you need to regularly weed throughout the season, and after harvesting, you need to remove all plant debris from the site, and you should also adhere to the rules of crop rotation and agricultural technology.

To get rid of the common mole cricket, you need to use bait. To do this, you need to make several holes 0.5 m deep in the area; horse manure should be placed in them. Don't forget to cover the top of the pit with wooden shields. When mole crickets climb into the manure to bask, it should be burned along with them.

Onions are harvested after the new leaf plates stop growing and the feathers have fallen, and the bulbs must have the shape, volume and color characteristic of the variety being grown. As a rule, this time lasts from the second half of August to the first ten days of September. For harvesting, choose a dry and sunny day. Do not delay harvesting, as the bulbs may begin to grow again, and they can no longer be stored.

The bulbs removed from the soil should be distributed over the surface of the bed to dry, then the dried soil should be removed from them. Before storing the crop, it is dried by laying it out in the sun or in a dry and well-ventilated room. Some gardeners use an oven to dry bulbs. First, they dry them at a temperature of 25 to 35 degrees, and then at 42–45 degrees for 10 hours. After this, the bulbs should be thoroughly examined, and those that are rotten or affected by disease should be discarded. Also, you cannot store onions without husks, or spoiled ones. When the crop is dried, the foliage of each bulb must be removed using sharp scissors, while the length of the remaining neck should reach 40–60 mm. It is best to store simple yellow onions because they have a dense shell and are unpretentious. Onions grown from seeds are stored worse than those obtained from sets. You also need to take into account that semi-sweet and sweet varieties have extremely thin husks, so they are more susceptible to various diseases and are stored much worse than bitter varieties.

This vegetable can be stored in a dry cellar, the temperature in which should be about 0 degrees (can be a little warmer), but it cannot be stored next to beets, potatoes, carrots and other vegetable crops that require high air humidity. You can put the bulbs in fabric bags, baskets, boxes, nets or oversized stockings. But you need to remember that to prevent the bulbs from rotting, dry air must constantly flow to them, so you cannot lay them in a thick layer in any container. Bulbs stored in a basement or dry cellar should be inspected regularly, which will allow timely identification of sprouted or rotten specimens. In order for the harvest of this crop to be stored longer than usual, you need to cauterize the roots of the bulbs.

Onions can also be stored in an apartment by choosing a relatively cool place (from 18 to 20 degrees), which should be located away from heating devices, and you need to weave braids from the onions. But to do this, you do not need to cut off the foliage of the bulbs during harvesting.

Types and varieties of onions with photos and names

Onions are the most popular among gardeners. It was known to people more than 6 thousand years ago; references to this vegetable were found in ancient Egyptian papyri. The height of this perennial is about 100 cm. The fleshy bulb of a spherical-flattened shape reaches 15 centimeters in diameter, the color of its outer scales can be white, yellow or purple. The tubular leaves are colored green-gray. The lush umbrella-shaped spherical inflorescence consists of white-green flowers with long pedicels. The swollen hollow arrow can reach 150 cm in height, the shape of the fruit is spherical. Numerous varieties of this species are divided according to taste into:

  • bitter and spicy - they contain 9–12% sugar;
  • semi-sweet - they contain sugar from 8 to 9%;
  • sweet - they contain 4–8% sugar.

It is noteworthy that bitter varieties of onions contain more sugar than sweet ones, but they also contain a lot of essential oils, so they have a more bitter taste. In order to prepare the first or second course, they take semi-bitter, spicy or bitter varieties, and sweet varieties are used to prepare desserts and salads. The most popular varieties:

  1. Alice Craig. The bulbs have high taste, and they store well; they can be used for preparing various dishes. Their upper scales are white.
  2. Fan Globe. The large bulbs are covered with light yellow scales and have a mild flavor. They store well for a long time and are also suitable for preparing a wide variety of dishes.
  3. Sturon. The juicy bulbs are of medium size, and they are covered with yellow scales. They store well and are used for preparing hot dishes.
  4. Stuttgarter. The large sweet bulbs have a rich yellow color and keep well for a long time. Suitable for preparing second and first courses.
  5. Long Red Florence. The soft red onions have a sweet taste, similar to shallots. They are eaten fresh, and sauces are also prepared from them. This variety is not suitable for long-term storage.
  6. Red Baron. The large red onions have a pungent taste and store well for a long time.

Of the salad varieties, Redmate and Furio red onions are very popular, as well as Gardensman, which has long stems white in color, and the greenhouse variety White Lisbon, characterized by high yield. And also the Prince of Wales variety, which is a perennial. Similar to the spring onion, it is highly branched, and its foliage is often used as chives.

Leeks or pearl onions from the Mediterranean

People became aware of this bow a long time ago, back in the days of ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt. This biennial has lanceolate leaves, on the surface of which there is a waxy coating. These plates fold along the central vein, which makes them similar to garlic plates, but they are larger. This plant is very demanding in terms of soil moisture and care.

This early ripening species is cultivated in the Middle East and Central Asia. The bulbs can be colored white, yellow or purple. This onion stores well and has multiple nests. It is very popular among French chefs because it has a relatively weak onion flavor, and it makes the most delicious sauces. Popular varieties:

This onion is cultivated throughout European territory. The young plant is used fresh for preparing salads, and mature shoots are used to make pie filling. The spicy leaves are similar in appearance to the foliage of onion, but they are smaller in size. This species is resistant to frost, pests and diseases.

This species is cultivated in China, where it is used to prepare various dishes Asian cuisine, it goes especially well with fish and soy sauce. Its flat leaf blades have a strong garlic odor. Flowering is observed in 2–3 years, the spectacular honey-bearing inflorescences have a size from 50 to 70 mm, and also have a very pleasant smell.

This species is also grown in China. Salads, side dishes and seasonings are prepared from such onions. Pickled onions are very tasty, and they are served along with fatty meats. This species differs from the others in that it contains much more phytoncides and vitamins.

There are 3 varieties: Japanese, Chinese and Korean onions. It is popular in Asian cuisine, where it is used to cook dishes in a wok pan, and it is also added to marinades or salads with fish or seafood. Such Japanese and Korean onions have a more delicate taste.

In the wild it is found in South-East Asia. Used to prepare Korean dishes national cuisine, and when fresh it is added to salads, soups and kimchi.

This perennial plant is found naturally in the European part of Russia and Siberia. It has a viscous juice similar to mucus, which is where its name comes from. These onions are very tasty and are resistant to frost and disease. Flat, juicy, linear-shaped leaves have a mildly pungent taste. The bulb is not formed in this species. This product is considered dietary and is eaten fresh, as well as canned food.

In addition to these species, they also grow onions: Regel, Suvorov, stalked, giant or gigantic, blue, bearish, oblique, Aflatunsky, Christoph or Star of Persia, bowed or wild, yellow, Karatavsky, round-headed or Drumsticks, Maclean, Molya or golden, Sicilian or Honey garlic, etc.

Before harvesting a perennial vegetable for storage, it must be properly prepared. Before digging, you should check for readiness - the husks come off well, the leaves turn yellow and dry out.

It is uprooted early in the morning and allowed to lie down for several days to dry in the sun. Then it is cleaned from the soil and dried for 3 days in the open air at a temperature not lower than +25 C.

You can store it in several ways:

  1. Bulk placement - vegetables are placed in bulk in well-ventilated areas.
  2. In bags - storage is organized in nets made of dense polyethylene. The bags are placed in a horizontal position. Each such net can hold up to 40 kg.
  3. In a container – for root vegetables used for food, the most rational storage choice is to place them in 150-200 kg containers.
  4. Boxes – boxes with slots weighing 25 kg have proven to perform well in storage.
  5. Trays are very different good conditions ventilation. In such containers, the tear vegetable does not spoil for a long period of time.

It is definitely worthwhile to ventilate the room in which containers with root vegetables will be kept. Otherwise, if the air is musty and humid, the storage duration will sharply decrease. Thus, it is necessary to select and store it properly so that it only provides benefits in human use for various purposes.

More information can be found in the video:

Onions are one of the most ancient vegetable crops.

In China, Iran, and Mediterranean countries it was known 4000 BC. Onions came to Russia from the banks of the Danube at the beginning of the 12th century. Onions are a perennial plant. In the first year, a bulb with a diameter of 1-2.5 cm (onion set) grows from the seed. In the next season, large bulbs are formed from it, producing flower stalks-arrows in the third year, on which inflorescences with seeds are formed. According to the nature of branching, all varieties are divided into small-, medium- and multi-celled. Varieties are distinguished not only by their nesting properties, but also by taste - into spicy, semi-sharp and sweet. Different varieties of onions have different methods of cultivation: some are grown from sets and selections, others - from sets and in an annual culture from seeds, others - only in

annual crop

sowing seeds or seedlings. There are many varieties of spring onions, the most common of which are:

Arzamas- mid-season; medium-sized (2-3 medium-sized bulbs weighing 60-90 g, round-cuboid or rounded in shape with yellow coloring of dry outer scales).

Belozersky- mid-season, small-nesting. The bulb is flat or flat-round, purple with a dark red tint, pungent taste.

Bessonovsky- early ripening, medium-sized (3-5 small bulbs weighing 35-65 g). The bulbs are round-flat, the outer dry scales are yellow, the inner ones are white.

Danilovsky 301- mid-season, small-growing (1-2 bulbs of semi-sharp taste, flat, large with dark purple color of dry scales and faint purple color of juicy scales).

Annual Havsky- early ripening, small-sized, semi-sharp taste. The bulbs are round or flat-round, yellow or yellow-brown in color.

Rostov onion- early ripening, multi-celled (3-6 bulbs). The bulbs are flat, yellow with a pink tint, weighing 40-80 g. The taste is pungent.

Strigunovsky local- one of the most common onion varieties. Early ripening, small-sized, pungent taste.

The bulbs are round, light yellow, weighing 100-120 g. Spanish

- late-ripening, small-growing (for salad purposes); Lugansk

- late-ripening, small-growing (medium acute); Kaba

- late ripening, small-sized (taste closer to sweet); Karatalsky- late ripening, small-sized (semi-sharp taste). Currently, onions are one of the most important vegetable crops. Bulbs and leaves are used as a seasoning in the canning industry, for salads, vinaigrettes, mushrooms, vegetables and meat dishes

Most often, onions are consumed raw or fried in lard or vegetable oil until golden brown.

Raw onions perfectly complement sausages and meat products, cottage cheese, cheeses, bread and lard.

Useful properties of onions

The bulbs contain nitrogenous substances (up to 2.5%), various sugars (10 - 11%) (glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose), polysaccharide inulin, phytin, flavonoid quercetin and its glucosides, fats, various enzymes, calcium and phosphorus salts , phytoncides, citric and malic acids, vitamins (3.75 mg%), (60 mg%), (50 mg%), (0.20 mg%), (10.5-33 mg%), as well as essential oil with a pungent, special odor that irritates the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose. Home integral part

essential oils are disulfide and other sulfides.

Onions release special volatile substances - phytoncides that kill ciliates, fungi and pathogenic bacteria. Volatile phytoncides destroy diphtheria and tuberculosis bacillus.

Fresh onions increase appetite, promote increased secretion of digestive juices, stimulate sperm production, stimulate libido and accelerate menstruation, have a pronounced diuretic property and are used to treat dropsy. Onions have bactericidal and antiseptic properties, fight viruses and accumulate the life-giving energy of the earth. Onions improve the absorption of food and increase the body's resistance to infectious diseases. It is used for gastrointestinal disorders accompanied by insufficient motor and secretory activity of the stomach, hypertension, atherosclerosis, general weakness And

colds

, decreased sexual activity.

In medicine, onions are used in the fight against scurvy and as an anthelmintic. For atherosclerosis, onion juice with honey helps well: take the mixture 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day. This juice strengthens capillaries and dilates blood vessels. IN

Ancient Greece

onions were among the most frequently consumed and favorite vegetables. Moreover, the Greeks already knew several varieties of this plant. The onion-honey mixture was used by Greek beauties as a rejuvenating facial mask.

Onions help get rid of worms: Infusion: chop the onion and add 1 glass of water. Drink the entire infusion in the morning on an empty stomach. The course of treatment is 3-4 days. Fresh Juice onions mixed with honey good remedy skin. Onion juice is also recommended for neurasthenia, insomnia and rheumatism. Fresh onion pulp is used for influenza and trichomonas disease, for the treatment of dermatitis, against mosquito bites

, hair loss, to remove calluses and warts. Baked onions are applied to boils, and freshly chopped onions are applied to the temples for headaches. Leeks are recommended for use in cases of obesity, salt deposits and kidney stones.

Alcohol tincture of onion has a diuretic and mild laxative effect, prevents constipation, relieves pain, and helps dissolve sand and small stones in kidney stones. Onions fried in butter or boiled in milk soften coughs and promote expectoration of mucus.

Dangerous properties of onions

Not everyone benefits from onions. It should be used with caution by heart patients and those who suffer from liver diseases. The most harmless contraindication of onions is the unpleasant smell after eating the vegetable. If you have bad breath and you need to go somewhere urgently, you can neutralize the onion aroma by eating fried Walnut

or parsley. You can also chew the crust of fried bread. Onions have a negative effect on the heart, causing high blood pressure and asthma. This happens due to irritation nervous system

. In order to reduce the effect of itching, burning, and watery eyes while cutting onions, it is recommended to run a stream of water or wet the knife with it.

Excessive consumption of onions can make you sleepy, and they are also harmful to metabolism, as they promote the formation of mucus and gases. In ancient times, onion juice was dripped onto the eyes, which supposedly helped to clear vision, but today this is not recommended, as it can harm the cornea. But all the warnings apply to the use raw onion

– in the form of tinctures and juice. And when stewed and boiled, it is almost completely harmless.

Onion tincture is contraindicated for heart and liver patients. Onion is a herbaceous perennial plant. It is successfully used in the cuisines of many countries. This can be explained by its taste and variety beneficial properties . This plant contains essential oils , carotene,, sources of protein, various sugars and vitamins, organic acids. Onions also contain mineral salts of magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. As you can see, there is no need to argue about the benefits of the plant in question. Indeed, it is thanks to this combination of substances that onions can be used as an antiseptic, to normalize digestion and in many other areas of traditional medicine.

Varieties of onions

The history of the plant in question can be traced back to approximately the fourth millennium BC. Its homeland is middle Asia. After many centuries, this plant, through natural and artificial selection, was divided into many varieties. We will look at some of them in our article.

Growing onions: methods

Onions are currently grown in a variety of ways. But of these, there are only four main methods for obtaining the harvest of a given plant.

1. Sowing onion sets.

2. Planting nigella onion seeds.

3. Growing seedlings from nigella seeds.

4. Vegetative method obtaining a harvest from small bulbs (sampling).

How to get a harvest from onion sets?

The most the old fashioned way breeding the vegetable in question is a method of growing from onion sets. In order to get an excellent turnip, specimens of sets ranging in size from one to two centimeters are carefully selected. Green feathers are obtained from large bulbs. And smaller specimens can also be used for growing onions, but only in winter sowing. There are also some tricks to consider. They consist in the fact that the larger the seed, the sooner it will begin to shoot. And a specimen less than a centimeter in diameter will not be able to produce seeds.

If you want to get early turnip onions, then you should sow small onion sets towards the end of September. And it is advisable that you do it before the tenth of October, because the plant needs to take root before the onset of frost. If you do everything correctly, the onions will take root well for the winter. In this case, the ovaries will be much larger and will ripen earlier than when planting sets in the spring.

Growing a vegetable from nigella seeds

If we want to get a harvest in this way, then sowing is carried out in early spring. For this purpose, the soil on the site is prepared in the fall. Onions are also sown for the winter. Moreover, the vegetable in question ripens much earlier than the one that was planted in the spring. For such sowing, a plot of land is selected with a southern slope, with non-flooding and clean, uncontaminated soil.

For late sowing of nigella seeds, furrows are prepared in the beds. This can be done with a hoe. We place the seeds in the ground at the first frost. They should be located shallowly, approximately 5 mm from the surface. All this is covered with humus or peat by three centimeters, which will allow winter period insulate the seeds.

Growing onions using seedlings

This method is used very rarely, since it is the most labor-intensive of all varieties of growing the plant in question. But it is when growing a vegetable using seedlings that the largest bulbs are obtained. This method is also very effective when used in small areas.

For the seedling method, onions (photo shown below) of the following varieties are used: Krasnodar-35, Kaba and Karatalsky.

Vegetative method of harvesting

Typically, varieties of northern onions are propagated vegetatively. For this, very small specimens of the vegetable are used, which are capable of creating a nest of eight to twenty ovaries. For vegetative propagation, the bulbs are grown on ridges or beds. They have been preparing them for this since the fall. The bed is divided into four rows. This is done with a hoe or stick. Plants in a row are placed at a distance of 25 centimeters from each other.

When onions are propagated vegetatively, they are planted in May. If vegetables, rising on their roots, begin to crawl out of the ground, then they are sprinkled with soil so that they are completely hidden. Onions are harvested after lodging of the leaves, in August. The plants removed from the ground are thoroughly dried and the nests are divided into bulbs. The vegetative method of propagating onions is the most productive.

When to harvest onions?

Harvesting the vegetable in question is perhaps the most labor-intensive moment in the entire process of growing it. Onions ripen from sixty-five to eighty-five days. The difference is, of course, noticeable. The length of the ripening period depends on the region in which the plant is grown, the weather and the variety.

But still, when to remove onions? How to do it right? Onions are harvested in clear and sunny weather from mid-August to the first half of September, after the leaves of the plant have withered and fallen. To do this, watering stops a few days before harvest. Sometimes the leaves are placed by hand (if they have not fallen in time), as this is necessary to prepare the onions for digging. The plants are then lifted out of the ground using a fork. Under no circumstances should the bulbs be pulled out. After harvesting, the vegetable in question is left in the beds for drying. This is done if the weather is good. Or they leave the harvest under a canopy. Onions must be dried. Otherwise, it will simply rot. If you are going to dry onions in the oven, then it is important not to overdo it, since its scales may crack. In this case, your harvest will disappear very quickly.

After drying the vegetables, their roots to one and a half centimeters and stems are cut off. This completes the harvesting of onions.

How to store onions?

In order to preserve your harvest for as long as possible, it is necessary to properly dry the onions. The vegetables in question are stored in wooden boxes. The stacked bulbs should not exceed twenty-five centimeters in height, and on top they are covered with a layer of their own husk. Wooden boxes have holes on the sides for ventilation.

For best storage, choose a cool, dry location. Usually a basement or cellar is used for this. A balcony loggia is also perfect. Onions in boxes must be periodically inspected for spoiled specimens.

Onions as a medicine

In many countries in folk medicine onions are used. The benefits of this plant cannot be overestimated. During the times of the great Roman Empire, onions were necessarily included in the diet of the military, since soldiers believed that it was it that raised their morale and courage. In Egypt, the vegetable in question was praised as a deity. Under Hippocrates, they treated patients with gout, rheumatism and obesity.

It has now been found that onions are excellent at stimulating the secretion of glands, normalizing digestive processes, being a powerful antiseptic and healing wounds. It contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals, and its specific smell can stimulate the appetite. So onions for the winter will enrich your diet and provide protection against all kinds of colds.